Weapons of Transformers: Laser blasters
by Militarist
Summary: This article describes how the laser weapons work, how they can be used and are used in Transformers' Multiverse
1. Laser weapons - principles of operating

**Laser Weapons - Introduction**

Deadly beams of electromagnetic radiation are probably the most popular fantastic weapons in culture. Their first appearance was in Welles's "War of the Worlds", where Martians used infrared (IR) laser beams – armed walking tanks against humans (and, fortunately, died from Earthborn microorganisms).

As we know, laser weapons exist in Transformers' Multiverse. An encyclopedia, which you can find at the address , tells us that 19 kinds of lasers exist in Multiverse, and not all of them generate coherent electromagnetic beams. To my not-so-happy surprise, the weapon called a Musket Laser fires hydrochloric acid (!), the Photon (!) Laser electromagnetizes electric circuits (!) and the Venom Laser (evil cackling) causes somehow paralyses. Yeah, most of weapons shouldn't even be called lasers, and a photon laser is the same thing as a "bullet machinegun".

So, my article is about laser weapons – how they actually work, their advantages and disadvantages and how you use them. And, in the end, weapons technologies are an area of knowledge which requires standardization. Said article consists from two parts: the first one is about construction of a laser blaster and how it works; the second one is about how to use a laser blaster.

 **Laser blasters: how do they work**

There are several kinds of lasers, but they differ from each other by diapasons of EM radiation: lasers themselves work in infrared (IR), optical (visible) and ultraviolet (UV) diapasons; grasers (Gamma Ray Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) generate x-ray and gamma-ray beams; masers generate coherent beams in radio wave frequencies.

In the end, any laser blaster consists of several parts. The first one is a quantum generator which generates a coherent beam of electromagnetic radiation (the word "coherent" means that all photons possess the same wavelength). The second one is an optical system which collects photons, constrains their path and focuses them into deadly beam. Others parts are: a Fire Control System, a frame, an energy source and a cooling system.

Why do you need an optical system? Because a laser beam, which has just left quantum generator's "muzzle", is too disperse. It isn't focused enough to damage anything (well, besides visual sensors like human's eyes). And Transformers – mechanoids whose exoskeleton is made from programmable alloy and visual sensors are video cameras – will simply ignore it.

Any battle laser is outfitted with rangefinder, which calculates the distance between the emitting aperture (it's a lense placed in blaster's muzzle) and the target and transfers them to blaster's Fire Control System (FCS). After that, FCS regulates distance between lenses and changes angles of mirrors in the optical system. And a radiation, emitted by generator, will converge at the spot called lens's focus.

The energy source of laser blaster is a generator, which transfers an electric current by wires, or a replaceable energy cell. And, because lasers do not have 100% - efficiency, they are outfitted with either an air or a liquid cooling.

All battle laser's components are encased into its frame, which looks like a hybrid of a gun and a very large video camera. If the laser uses air cooling, you can see slits on its frame and hear a humming of ventilator. But if it is cooled by liquid, there are three variants of design. The first one is called a heat sink: after several shots the coolant tank will be overheated, and you'll have to replace it with the new one. The second variant means that laser gun has a built-in radiator, where heated liquid is cooled down. And the third variant is used for really, really big laser cannons – which are either elements of a point defense system, weapons of space vehicles or carried by gestalts and super-heavy armored vehicles. A coolant tank and a radiator are no longer components of the battle lasers – they are connected with it by flexible hoses. These hoses transfer cool liquid in and hot liquid out of cannon.

Fortunately for Transformers, who are fond of big guns, lasers are well-known for their extremely low recoil, so you can hide lascannon's large coolant tank inside subspace pocket and carry its heavy frame by two manipulators (if you're small) or by one (if you're as large as Megatron). But I wouldn't recommend it, because a lascannon as a heavy weapon isn't the best choice – its optical system's too fragile, and a particle cannon or a heavy caliber magnetic mass-accelerator are more robust.

Energy cells… well, their main parameter is how much energy they can store per kilogram. Nanotech ultra-capacitors can store 200 kilo joules per kilogram (maximum), but super accumulators, made from high-temperature superconductors, possess one hundred times more energy density (10-25 mega joules per kilogram). After discharging you have to replace your cell with a new one. And don't throw away used heat sinks and energy cells – you can reload them after battle (or loot from enemies).

 **"Buildings, fortresses, battleships, airplanes, rocks, mountains, the very crust of Earth – my beam will pierce, cut through and destroy all of it." Pietr Garin**

Well, P. from the novel "Engineer Garin's Hyperboloid" was right – any laser beam, generated by sufficiently powerful quantum generator, capable of cutting through any normal matter (I don't count a neutronium and other forms of degenerate matter – they are incredibly rare and can't be mass-produced even by Transformers' technologies). But his chemical laser, focused by paraboloid mirrors (not by hyperboloid mirrors), was impossible to construct – otherwise we would have been able to use it since the thirties of the 20th century.

The unique capabilities of laser blasters come from their nature - they fire neither bullets nor bolts of particles but focused beams of electromagnetic energy. Why it is so dangerous? Well, we know that Sun's radiation is reason why our planet is warm – otherwise it would be a frozen and lifeless ball of rock, flying through the space. But laser blaster's radiation, unlike Sun's, is tightly focused and coherent. Any matter, enlightened by such beam, is turned not even into vapor, but into high temperature plasma. That cloud of plasma immediately expands, hits non-vaporized matter and squeezes it, creating a crater on target's surface. And that's why laser weapons are called blasters.

Because of their nature, battle lasers are dangerous – they are de-facto molecular disintegrators. Their beams disintegrate chemical bonds and send atoms flying away! The damage, caused by them, do not depend as much from materials' hardness, as from their abilities to absorb heat, melt and vaporize.

Returning to armor-piercing capabilities of lasers, I should say that a plasma cloud, created by beam, is opaque to IR, optical and UV radiation. A continuous beam can't vaporize more material, but instead will heat and squeeze plasma cloud. A crater, created by plasma blast, will become larger… but it's not always equal to "piercing through enemy armor". Why? It's obvious that you want not only pierce through protection of your foe, but also damage his/hers/its inner components.

So, let's generate a pulsed beam. After projecting a continuous pulse with duration of tens or hundreds of nanoseconds, laser's generator will not work for several microseconds. That's enough time for plasma cloud to disperse. The next beam will hit created crater's bottom and then laser's generator will turn off again. And so on, and so on, and so on… Instead of blasting a large crater on surface, a pulsed beam drills through armor and is more likely to actually injure your enemy.

Unfortunately, several problems emerge at that moment. First: any light beam is capable of a radial dispersion and part of energy will not hit the spot. Second: any atmosphere consists from atoms, and some photons will be scattered away. Because of that scattering when the battle laser is firing, you can notice a very wan single-colored beam. Third: it's impossible to focus a beam on a very, very tiny spot.

Actually, spot's diameter can be calculated by formula:

S=1,2*R*L/D

Where S – spot's diameter, R – range between blaster's muzzle and target, L – light's wavelength, D – emitting aperture's diameter.

Let's make some conclusions. The shorter beam's wavelength is, the longer range is. The less range is, the more damage is dealt. The bigger blaster's aperture is, the longer range is. In close combat, armor-piercing battle lasers will drill through almost any armor.

The other thing worth considering is the capability of lasers to knockback targets. I put bluntly: if your laser blaster has managed to knockback a Transformer, it has also drilled a large hole in your enemy and your gun isn't a pistol, but a large anti-tank weapon. And your foe is heavily damaged by such an attack.

And, finally, – an efficiency of different lasers. In atmosphere, while an IR-laser is the easiest to produce, a green or aquamarine-colored laser is the best choice. Blue lasers lose more energy from atmosphere's dispersion and UV-lasers ionize atoms by their beams (but it can be used to create an electrolaser). Grasers are useless in atmosphere: it's opaque to them. But they have very long range in vacuum and can be used as spacecraft's main weapon (alongside rockets, of course). But, what is more important, plasma is transparent to x-rays and gamma-radiation, so you don't need to build a pulsed graser for maximum damage.

 **Electrolasers**

An electrolaser is a lightning gun. It doesn't use a coherent beam of light to damage targets; instead, it projects an ultraviolet laser beam. That bream, passing through an atmosphere, ionizes molecules and atoms on its way, creating a plasma channel. But the blaster has a built-in high voltage generator, connected with several electrodes, which are placed on its muzzle. That generator works simultaneously with UV-laser. When the plasma channel is created, it is an essentially long electric wire – and electrodes, placed on gun, pump an electric current through it.

Being hit by an artificial lightning bolt isn't very nice. First, it's very painful for any living creature. Second, that lightning will fry any non-protected electronics and has chances to damage an insulating layer. Third, the material of surface stroked by electrolaser's lightning bolt will be melted down. And, fourth, cybertronian electrolasers are designed to paralyze other Transformers. Because of that, they will fry small organic beings (like humans) in a single shot. And, like any laser, an electrolaser hits target instantly.


	2. Laser weapons - how to use

**Battle** **lasers: comparison**

The are several reasons to prefer a laser blaster over other weapons. First, it uses only electric energy as an ammunition. Second, during ground combat the light beam hits targets instantly, and, because lasers have a negligible amount of recoil, they've got the best accuracy of all ranged weapons. Third, the ability of laser to vaporize its target's matter makes light beamers very efficient against any target with self-repair capabilities – like other Transformers and other mechanoids, whose frames are made from smart matter, or organics with high regenerative capabilities. Fourth, the laser itself doesn't produce loud sounds – it can be used as a silent sniper blaster. Fifth, like particle weapons, lasers can variate their power – firing either high-powered shots against heavily armored targets or lots of low-powered shots against small targets.

But disadvantages of laser weapons are serious. First, low-tech lasers produce too much heat to be efficient. Second, if the atmosphere is heterogeneous, then the light beam will deviate from its way. Even worse if there is smoke, aerosol or dust in the air or it's raining or snowing – the beam will be scattered, losing its energy. Third, battle laser's optical system is fragile and can be brattled – never use your light-beamer as an improvised bludgeon. Fourth, if you choose laser, you will have to clean its aperture from dust and dirt before any battle. Fifth, you can't fire constantly – the blaster will be overheated or will require you to change an energy cell.

Comparing with magnetic mass-accelerators, laser weapons have an advantage in lacking eroding barrels and hitting target instantly. But laser blasters have lesser effective range than coilguns and railguns and, of course, fragile. Particle weapons have better armor piercing at medium range than lasers and do not care about air conditions – but they require production of high temperature superconductors, have heavier cooling systems and their maximum range (for proton accelerators) is only two kilometers (for electron accelerators – only 400-600 meters). And, of course, a laser blaster is easier to produce than a particle blaster.

Capabilities of battle lasers defined their usage by combatants of Cybertron. Until production of a so-called third generation of particle weaponry, pulsed laser guns were the most common weapons at Cybertron. Their only "rivals" were mass-accelerators. Even later battle lasers didn't become useless – by the time of the infamous Civil War they were incredibly popular among flying Transformers and were used as anti-air and anti-missile weapons.

 **Battle lasers: usage**

Modern laser weapons are the best choice for flyers and against flyers and missiles. Laser beams move so fast that enemy can't evade them – if you point laser's muzzle at moving target, it will be hit by pulses of monochrome light. The negligible recoil means that even a flyer-tank-hunter, armed with lots of pulsed light-beamers, can attack with pinpoint accuracy, firing all the blasters at the same moment. And, of course, if the enemy somehow attack you at close range, lasers will drill through foe's armor faster than any melee weapon.

Electrolasers, besides being used as non-lethal weapon to take down criminals, also were deployed by flyers and were nicknamed "null-blasters". Any flying Transformer, hit by artificial lightning, will imminently lose control over his/hers frame for several seconds – time, enough for the electrolaser to recharge and project another lightning. In the end, your foe will fall at planet's surface and either will be killed by such a hit or go into the stasis mod because of the very severe damage.

Anti-air and anti-missile lasers aren't used today as stationary cannons – Cybertronians, favoring mobility, developed self-purposing AA robots. Said robots look like armored four-wheeled jeeps with RADAR and laser cannon arrays, placed upon their roofs. In full power mode, lasers are fired at the enemy aircraft, which has happened to fly at the low altitude, and the low power mode is used to intercept incoming missiles. These "Hunters-Protectors" are deployed in groups of at least four robots, and their Virtual Intelligences (they lack true sentience) allow them to distinguish friends and foes (and intercept fast-moving airborne targets as well).

And there is the other type of robots, used by Cybertronians (Transformers themselves aren't robots, but mechanoids – a race of sentient machines). I talk about Blinders – small quadrocopters, armed with small laser blasters and outfitted with Virtual Intelligences. These malicious machines always move after their masters and, spotting a foe, attack them. Blinder's blaster isn't capable of piercing throw Transformer's exoskeleton (however, this robot can drill a hole in human's body) – but the robot is going after enemy's visual sensors. A group of these machines can blind several Cybertronians in seconds.

Sure, Transformers do not use their "eyes" to navigate – they have built-in RADAR and LIDAR (the LIDAR is used to scan a transport form, for example) – but blinding is very painful for them and disorientates them for seconds. In combat such disabling is deadly – which is the reason for developing Blinders. After successful attack robots generate a distinctive sound - and then their master quickly kills disabled foe, either gunning him/her down or by closing range and stabbing several times with lance, made from very hard materials as a diamond, a borazon, etc. Blinders are typically used en masse in urban combat.

 **Battle lasers: usage in media**

Unfortunately, realistic laser weapons are rarely seen in works about Transformers' Multiverse. But let's take a look…

In G1 most beams, fired by Autobots and Decepticons at each other, aren't laser pulses, but particle bolts. However, it sometimes mentioned in characters' bio that their weapon of choice is laser or electrolaser (a lightning gun is a synonym of electrolaser).

In Beast Wars, Dinobot replaced before series his standard visual sensors with visual sensors, possessing built-in green laser. In cartoon's sequel, Beast Machines, Botanica was armed with two (completely overpowered) electrolasers.

In Bayverse, unfortunately, laser weapons aren't popular. While movies' creators did a good job making Transformers' design realistic, for some weird reason they didn't give Cybertronians probably the most realistic energy weapons – lasers, instead giving them slugthrowers (in most cases, not even magnetic mass-accelerators!).

In Animated, laser blasters were used by Starcream and his squad of clones. These beamers project purple pulses (approximately 400-420 nanometers). Any battle, where Starscream fought, shows that if your enemy have a blaster, while you carry only a melee weapon, you will not win skirmish without a ruse or comrades.

In Aligned, several models of battle lasers exist. In War of Cybertron you can use two blasters – an Energon Pistol and a Null Ray. Actually, the E-Pistol isn't a pistol – it's a laser carabine, capable of projecting aquamarine beam and taking down most enemies in two shots. As its name says, it uses a tank, filled with a liquid energon, as a part of its quantum generator. The Null-Ray is a heavy laser cannon with a very strange design – it doesn't have a large aperture, but has a long and thin barrel. It fires orange beam, powerful enough to kill Transformers in a single shot (except Cybertronians who have an additional armor).

Two other models were used in Transformers: Prime cartoon. Megatron, when he replaced his right manipulator with looted one. A laser cannon, installed into looted manipulator, was capabale of drilling a large hole in mechanoid's frame (unfortunately for Dreadwing). But, for some weird reason, Megatron never used that built-in weapon against Cybertronians in battle (fortunately for Autobots!). The other model of laser blaster was built into Predaking's left manipulator and wasn't his primary weapon. That fact proves that predacons lack powerful weapons and Shockwave, being a genius scientist, wasn't a good weapons designer or a military engineer. Sure, you created a flying supersoldier, then why not to give him a typical flyer's equipment - a lascannon and self-guiding missiles? To put shortly, scenarists, thinking about predacons as of mythical creatures, didn't try to make them efficient.

 **Battle lasers: protection**

Fortunately, it doesn't require high technologies to develop a protection against lasers – even a cloud, created by smoke grenade, will cause coherent beam to scatter and lose most of its energy. Against Blinders the best defense is an offense – you should get your own retinue of attack drones, programmed to destroy enemy quadrocopters – or such a retinue can be assigned to your squad (more likely). Don't also forget that Blinders lack heavy armor – they can be destroyed in a few shots.

But if your enemies have got lots of guns – and not only laser blasters – an additional armor should be used. Sure, it is heavy and slows you down (especially during transformation sequences) – but it is still a useful protection. And the best choice is a nano-fibrous composite armor, based on borazon, diamondoids, carbon nanotubes and so on. These materials protect from all kinds of damage, but can be only produced by nanotechnologies (no handmade armor for you!). Even better piece of equipment is a smart nano-fibrous composite armor – it doesn't slow your transformation, copies your frame's form and is capable of limited self-repair. The typical color of the additional armor is grey.


End file.
